Walking on Fire
by AndiCarnegie
Summary: When a mysterious girl shows up in the forest outside of Forks, claiming not to remember her past, how will she affect the Cullens? Will she help or hurt them? And more importantly, will the Volturi find out?
1. Chapter 1

It started off as a bright day, which in itself was unusual. But the strangest thing of all was the pervading feeling of calm in all the Cullens, a natural calm, brought about without Jasper's interference. On this particular day, November the second, there was a chill in the air that reminded the residents of Forks that winter was fast approaching, and a harsh winter at that. But just outside of Forks at a house where the residents did not feel the cold, the adults of the house puttered around absentmindedly while the youngest inhabitant, Renesmée, was off at school, eagerly awaiting the weekend with her classmates, completely unaware of what was about to happen back at her house.

Alice was busy decorating the house for the most recent coming holiday in the most beautiful, classy way possible, Edward and Bella were snuggled up on the couch, simply basking in each other's presence like they so often did, Rosalie was off restoring a car, Esmé was organizing a charity event for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society which she and Carlisle would be attending, Carlisle himself was at work, and Jasper and Emmett were out hunting. All was well. Until a scream shattered the silence surrounding the Cullen house. The four vampires jumped to their feet and looked around suspiciously.

"It sounded like it came from the woods." Edward said to his family.

"It sounded like a young girl." Esmé's statuesque features were distorted with worry. Wordlessly, all of the Cullens ran from the house and towards to source of the sound, which they found, crumpled and disheveled lying on a bed of moss and dead pine needles. Her eyes were closed.

"Who do you think she is?"

"She looks so young…"

"Is she dangerous?" At the sound of their voices her eyes shot open and she back away nervously. Her irises were pitch black.

"Who are you?" She demanded, her voice firm.

"Relax," Edward said in a soothing voice as he slowly approached her like she was a wild animal. "We're not going to hurt you." She meant no harm, Edward knew that, but he still had to be wary. She was frightened, after all. As he walked toward her, evaluating her mental condition, Alice, Bella (directly behind Edward of course. Too nervous to be far away from him, but not allowed be him to be beside him) and Esmé examined her physical state.

She was very short in stature, although taller than Alice, and very slight, with wide eyes and dark haired that appeared it had once been in a bun. She wore what appeared to be the underclothes from some sort of old-fashioned gown, held a fan in her left hand and a gold pocket watch in her right. Her entire body had smears of dirt on it and there were leaves stuck in her hair. She looked terrified.

"W-who are you?" She repeated, inching away from Edward. If only Jasper had been there; he would have been able to calm her down.

"I'm Edward," he said in a pacifying voice. "This is my wife Bella, my sister Alice, and my mother Esmé. What's your name?" She glanced quickly at the open pocket watch in her right hand.

"I… I think it's Minnie." Her angelic features were distorted with confusion. The Cullens exchanged glances like "_She thinks…?"_

"What are you doing around here, Minnie?" She studied the ground at her feet, then looked up at Edward with a rather pained expression.

"Where are we exactly?"

ΨΨΨ

Edward hesitated.

"Can I speak to my family for a moment?" She nodded and studied her pocket watch intently.

"Do you think we should take her home? She's confused and I don't think she's dangerous." Esmé said. She glanced over her shoulder and looked at the girl with pity. Bella and Edward seemed less sure.

"I don't know if we should. She's a stranger and we don't want to risk endangering Renesmée." Bella nodded, agreeing with her husband. Esmé turned to Alice, hoping someone would agree with her.

"Alice?" She hesitated.

"I agree that she's not dangerous, and I'm definitely not proposing that we bring her home for good, but maybe just for a bit until she's more oriented." Edward nodded.

"We'll bring back and maybe have Carlisle look at her."

"I think that's a great idea. Minnie?"

"Yes?"

"Would you like to come to our house for a little bit? Maybe get some clothes?" Esme asked her in a maternal voice.

"Yes, thank you." She said in a small voice. "I just have one question." She said as they began their journey back to the Cullen's home. "Why are you all wearing trousers?"

ΨΨΨ

"Oh wow." She gasped as she walked in the door. "Excuse me for saying this, but you must be extremely wealthy." She blushed after saying it and apologized profusely for being rude.

"No, it's fine." Bella said, laughing slightly and understanding what it was like to make a faux pas. "But what makes you think that?" She herself had already known the Cullens were wealthy and wondered what in the front hall had tipped the girl off.

"You have electric lights." She said in an awed voice. "The only other place I've seen them is in the House of Morgan." Bella looked confused.

"The House of Morgan? What are you—" But Edward interrupted her.

"Minnie," He said with urgency as he rushed to her side. "What year is it?" She looked at him like he was being incredibly silly and laughed.

"Why, it's 1892 of course."

ΨΨΨ

Minnie sat on the couch, the Cullens all around her.

"I… I'm starting to remember more. I was born in 1875 in New York to a relatively wealthy family. My father, he worked for Junius Morgan. I had a twin brother named Tommy and he absolutely doted on me. He was my best friend. One night in 1890 when I was fifteen, I remember because it was right before Christmas and the snow was falling in thick flakes on the city. We were walking down the street and laughing. It was getting dark, but we didn't care. We were looking for the perfect gift for our mother. This strange man came up to us and told us that he had always wanted children but couldn't have them. We expressed our sorrow, but did our best to move away because he made us nervous. He called us back and said that we made a beautiful matched set. He tried to grab me, but Tommy intervened. I don't remember exactly what happened, but I remember waking up in a fabulous house after what seemed like eons of pain. Tommy was with me, he had woken up earlier. And he and a new man, Mr. Brady, what had happened, and what I had become. He had found us both on the street, writhing in pain after what that man did, and took us back to his house. I wanted to go back to our parents, but in my heart, I knew we never could. I soon adjusted to my new life and became Minerva Brady, daughter of Nicholas Brady, close associate of John D. Rockefeller. I wasn't unhappy. Like I said before, we were invited to Mr. Morgan's (John Pierpont, not the one my father had worked for) electrical light viewing party. He knew of Nicholas' friendship with Mr. Rockefeller and did it to spite him. That night, I wore my favorite dress; it was black and magenta and had buttons going all the way up my torso." Minnie smiled, as if remembering the joy it brought her. "On the way home from the party, a group of men surrounded us. I recognized one of them; it was the man who had changed us. He was angry with Nicholas for taking away his folly. He was building his family, picking who he thought was the best of the best and changing them to join his family. They attacked us. We tried to fight." She shuddered at the memory. "I still remember the sound of all those buttons hitting the pavement. They might have killed Nicholas, I don't know. But they took Tommy and I. I never saw him again." She shuddered again, this time more violently. "I-I still don't remember what happened while I was with them, but I escaped about a week ago, I think, still not remembering anything. I think I was trying to repress it." She looked away from the Cullens as if embarrassed to be showing so much emotion in from of people she barely knew.

"Oh, you poor thing!" Esmé looked like she was about to cry and embraced the girl.

"Why did he want you and your brother so bad?" Edward asked, already knowing the answer. Minnie hesitated.

"Tommy and I are… special." She said, looking at them nervously. "Tommy, he's able, or at least was able, to change his appearance at will. He could make himself look like me if he wanted to, which he often did to confuse me. You might not believe me, but…"

"No, don't worry, we know." Bella said, feeling completely and utterly sorry for Minnie. "Alice can see the future, Edward can read people's minds, and Alice's husband, Jasper, can affect people's moods." She reassured the girl.

"Don't forget about yourself, love." Edward said, pecking her cheek. "Bella is the most amazing of us all. She can shield herself and those around her from any sort of mental assault. I can't even read her mind unless she lets me."

"Can you really read my thoughts?" Edward nodded. "Forgive me, I don't want to offend you, but could you tell me what I am thinking of now?" Edward smiled wryly. He was used to this sort of thing.

"You're thinking about your particular ability, and if you were to ask me, I would tell you it is every bit as impressive as your brother's." She looked rather flattered and hid her face behind her fan, muttering thank you.

"Well don't hide it from us, Edward." Alice chided

"Would you mind if I told them Minnie?" She shook her head but continued to look miserable.

"Minnie has the ability, what is called, 'transmute' the objects around her." He saw Bella's blank look and explained. "She manipulates the matter around her and can transform it to whatever she wants by, much like her brother."

"Wait." Bella said, looking puzzled. "I thought you said he could change his appearance."

"He can," she said from behind her fan. "I remember now. They said it was 'genetics manipulation' I think. He can change people's DNA."

"That's… wow. That's amazing."

"I know. They think he's so powerful because we're twins." She peaked out from behind her fan and when no one seemed to be judging her, snapped it closed.

"Yes." Alice nodded. "We met a pair of twins once. Jane and her brother, Alec. Jane could make people feel pain and Alec could make people feel nothing at all." Minnie looked horrified.

"Tommy and I never used our abilities to harm others. Once, Tommy and I met this woman, she was incredibly kind, but had a mild birth defect that scarred her horribly. She was in love with her childhood best friend, who loved her in turn, but his parents wouldn't let them marry. So Alec snuck in to her house one night and fixed her DNA. Her looks matched her personality for the first time. They married and she was oh so happy. I was at her wedding." She smiled fondly.

"Minnie," Esmé said gently. "Would you mind showing us _your_ ability?"

"O-oh." She stuttered. "Okay. What would you like me to do?" She seemed nervous. "I can sense the composition, so just hand me what you want."

Alice sprinted outside and brought her a rock the size of an apple. She tossed it back and forth in her hands then looked questioningly at Alice.

"Did you want me to change its chemical composition, or its appearance? I can do either."

"Hmmm… What do you mean?"

"Well I could make this rock shaped like a rose, or I could change the elements making it up in to different ones, although, that's a bit harder and I can't always do it well."

"Hmm… You should change the way it looks. Make something pretty for my dresser." She smiled encouragingly and Minnie nodded and took a deep breath. She put both her hands on the rock and closed her eyes. There was a small light growing in her hands, growing, until the rock was completely obscured. When it faded there was a perfectly smooth stone dove lying peacefully in her hands. They all gasped.

"Oh my…" Esmé put her hand over her heart.

"It's beautiful…" Alice gently took the sculpture from Minnie's hands and examined it. "It's perfect in every way." Bella gaped.

"Very impressive, Minnie." Edward praised. At that moment they all perked up. "Emmett and Jasper are coming."

"Yeah. And so is Renesmée. She's almost home." Alice added.

"W-what?" Minnie looked confused, worried, and ready to bolt.

"Remember Jasper?" Esmé said kindly. "He's Alice's husband. Emmett is Edward's brother, and Renesmée id Edward and Bella's daughter. Don't worry, they're all very kind." She reassured her.

"And," Bella added. "They're here."

**Okay, thanks for reading! I would really appreciate it if you told me how you thought I did and what I could do to make it better! See you next time!**

**Andi**

**P.S. This is what Minnie was wearing when they found her/the night of the party: aurore/set?id=62522186**


	2. Chapter 2

Emmett, Jasper, and Renesmée stared at the bedraggled vampire girl crouched in a defensive position, facing Emmett and Jasper like they were her big concern. Emmett was the first one to break the silence.

"So… Who's that girl?" Esmé cleared her throat in an attempt to diminish the tension.

"Emmett, Jasper, Renesmée… This is Minnie. Minnie, these are the people we told you about, they're not going to hurt you." Slowly she relaxed, along with everyone in the room, thanks to Jasper.

"You…" She looked at him questioningly and ignored the others. "I… I feel like I've seen you before. Have we ever met? I know I remember your face." Jasper too, was staring at her.

"We have met before." He said finally. The family looked surprised. "It was when you weren't… when you were still human."

"I remember! It was when my family was visiting our Aunt Magdalena. She lived in the south, although I don't remember where. I wandered off and got lost. I was scared. And then this beautiful man came out from the trees and asked me if I was alright. I remember how kind he was."

"She told me she couldn't find her way back to her aunt's house." Jasper continued. "I was thirsty that night… So thirsty… But she was a little girl and I couldn't justify killing her." Minnie looked rather startled, because she hadn't been aware that Jasper first approached her with the intention of hunting her.

"He took my hand, and I was seven at the time so it wasn't exactly strange, and he took me home. I hugged him and I remember hearing his breath hitch in his throat. Now I know why." Alice glided over to Jasper and wrapped her arms around him.

"You're always the perfect gentleman, aren't you?" She said, pecking his cheek.

"So other than thanking the guy that brought her back home when she was seven, what is she doing here?" Emmett asked, still confused. Renesmée had moved between her parents and was still regarding the strange visitor with suspicion.

"We found her in the woods and brought her home." Esmé said, already giving the girl the motherly looks she was so famous for. "She's going to be—"

"Leaving soon." Minnie interrupted. "They were just bringing me in until my confusion faded. So thank you, but I think I should be off. It was nice to meet you all; I hope our paths cross again someday." She moved towards the door only slightly above human speed and a thought struck Edward.

"Minnie," He said as her hand was on the door. "When was the last time you ate?" She paused, looking mildly confused.

"I honestly don't know. Huh. The last time I remember eating is when Nicholas, Tommy and I all went hunting. Maybe I'll go someplace like the jungles of South America, or African mountains, or maybe even Antarctica." A dreamy look crossed her face. "Someplace with lots of animals and minimal people."

"I don't understand," Jasper said. "How are you not insane with hunger right now?" Minnie shrugged.

"We didn't go upstate often, so even before they took me I didn't eat very much."

"I thought you lived in New York City." Edward said. "Why didn't you just feed in the city?" Minnie gave Edward a horrified look.

"Well we weren't going to eat stray dogs and you don't often see deer running down Broadway."

"You're a vegetarian vampire?" Bella blurted out.

"If by that you mean that I feed on animals, than yes. Nicholas never let us feed on humans; we wouldn't have wanted to." The Cullens looked rather stunned, knowing their life style was uncommon, but vampires living in New York feeding on animals? Unheard of. "Now again, I thank you, but I don't want to be a burden. I must be off."

"Oh dear!" Alice squeaked. "I forgot to dress you! Even if you have to go, you can't go like that! You'll give some poor hiker a heart attack!"

"Yeah," Emmett chortled. "I'm sure _that'd_ be his reaction." Minnie looked at him quizzically, but said nothing. Alice glared at him and grabbed Minnie's wrist.

"It'll only take a minute, I promise!" She looked Minnie up and down. "Well…. Maybe more than a minute."

ΨΨΨ

About a half an hour later, Alice came down lacking a certain Gilded Age vampire she had had with her when she went up.

"Everyone," She announced. "I now present, the new and improved, Minerva… Minnie? What's your last name?"

"Umm… Use Brady, I suppose." They heard Minnie say from Alice's room.

"Okay then. They now clean and neat… Minerva Brady!" Minnie emerged from Alice's room looking extremely self-conscious in a flowy, but short dress, and a pair of peep toe shoe boots. He long brown hair was neatly brushed.

"You look wonderful, Minnie." Esmé said with a smile. "And you did a fabulous job, Alice dear."Renesmee excused herself from the room.

"Thank you, but I should go." She looked nervous and like she felt awful for being so persistent. "Good bye Alice, Esmé. I'll remember you forever. Thank you for bringing in and clothing me." She hugged both women. "Edward, Bella. You are two of the kindest people I have met. I wish you a lifetime of happiness forever." She hugged Bella and shook Edward's hand. "Emmett it was very good to meet you and you seem very friendly." He grinned and accepted the hand she offered. "And Jasper," She hesitated slightly. "I hope you know nothing but happiness, you truly deserve it. Treat Alice well." She squeezed him tightly, then pulled away. "Good bye, all." She waved.

"Wait!" Alice dashed upstairs. "If you're going to leave, take this coat. It'll help you blend in, plus, it's super cute. Bye, honey." She gave the younger (older?) girl one last hug and released her.

"Thank you. You truly are some of the most remarkable people I have encountered." She waved again and moved to leave.

"Where will you go?" Jasper asked.

"I'll probably try to find Tommy and Nicholas. And if that doesn't work, I'll probably find a place I like and settle down."

"Visit whenever you're in the area." Esmé said helplessly. She promised she would and opened the door.

"Oh my!" Minnie squeaked. "There are tremendous sized wolves out here!" The Cullens exchanged glances.

"The pack is here? Are we just so used to them we didn't notice?" Renesmée walked in and leaned against the doorway.

"Jake's here." She said casually.

"Nessie," Alice said. "Did you call the pack?"

"Jake would have wanted to know if there was another vampire at the house."

"Umm… Pardon me, but there's a young man walking up to the house." Jacob walked in the door and greeted the Cullens and moved to stand by Nessie, watching Minnie warily. Outside, the rest of the wolves waited in case Jake needed them.

"Who's she?" Jacob nodded towards the corner by the door where Minnie stood.

"Umm… Well, I'm Minerva Brady; it's a pleasure to meet you, sir." She offered him her hand, but he didn't take it, merely raising his eyebrow at the title.

"How long are you planning on staying here?" He asked coolly. Minnie looked absolutely petrified.

"I was planning on leaving now… if that's okay with you. I-I just want to find my brother."

"Oh really, Jacob." Alice chided, putting an arm around Minnie's shoulder. "You're terrifying the girl. She's not going to hurt anyone, least of all Nessie. She doesn't hunt humans and isn't going to attack the pack."

"Carlisle is on his way home," Esmé said. "Minnie, why don't you stay for just a little while longer and meet him? He'd be delighted to. And Jacob, you and the boys can stay fro dinner if you want, I'd love to make something for you all." Jake shrugged.

"Sure, thanks Mrs. Cullen."

"Minnie?" She looked at the Victorian vampire hopefully, who hesitated.

"If you insist, Esmé, thank you."

ΨΨΨ

Seth could see the new vampire Nessie had told them about through the window. She was pretty, but all vampires were. She reminded him of that girl from the old _Romeo and Juliet_ movie he had seen in school. He hoped she was as nice as the Cullens. She must have been if the Cullens had invited her in like that, right?

"Focus, Seth." Leah snapped. "She could be dangerous."

"Sorry Leah!" He apologized. Personally, he didn't think she was a threat, especially since she looked positively terrified standing in front of Jake. Plus, he didn't believe in the slightest that Edward and Bella would have let anyone unsafe around Nessie and he _definitely_ didn't think that Jasper would have allowed Alice to be that close to anyone that might hurt her. He saw Alice put her arm around the new vampire and Mrs. Cullen intervene on her behalf. They must've really liked the new girl. He saw Mrs. Cullen walk outside.

"Would you all like to stay for dinner? I'm making a pot roast." She was so friendly and motherly, and her food was so _good_. He thought for Edward to tell her that he would love to stay for dinner, he just needed to get some clothes and saw Edward say something to her. She smiled and he dashed off in to the woods, phased back, and put on some clothes. He noticed many of his brothers doing the same. Only Leah headed home.

"Hey Bella, Hey Edward." He greeted as he walked in. He said hi to Jasper, Alice and Nessie too.

"Dinner will be ready soon, Seth. You all can just wait in the living room, I'll call you when it's finished."

"Okay, Mrs. Cullen, thanks."

"Hello Seth," Edward said. "Have you met our guest? This is Minerva Brady." He turned to the girl sitting in one of the chairs, staring down at a pocket watch and a fan she was holding in her hands.

"Hi Minerva." He said. "I'm Seth."

"Hello Seth." She looked up. "You can call me Minnie." And the world stopped.

**I know this chapter was SUPER short, but I reeeeeeeally wanted to end it right there and it seemed rather appropriate. So thanks for reading and please tell me what you thought and anyway I can improve! I'll try to update soon! By now!**

**Andi**

**P.S. This is what Alice changed Minnie in to. Sorry. I really like clothes and I'm bad at describing them. jolie/set?id=62531799#stream_box**

**P.P.S. The actress from the 1960's version of **_**Romeo and Juliet**_** that Seth referred to was Olivia Hussey, in case you were wondering.**


	3. Chapter 3

Sleeping was what she missed the most. She missed the fantastic, surreal images her mind wove when her eyelids shut. When Nicholas had first told her and Tommy that they could no longer sleep, she hadn't believed him. That was the difference between her and Tommy. That first night, after they had quenched their nearly boundless thirsts, she had laid down in the bed she woke up in, closed her eyes, and tried to sleep. While Tommy was downstairs learning to play chess and other sophisticated games, she had her eyes closed for hours on end until the sun rose. This continued for five days. Finally, on the fifth night, she had crept down the stairs, nervous and uncertain. Nicholas had looked at her with kindness in his eyes and asked her if she would like to join them. She had said yes.

He had started off by teaching her checkers. Minnie's mother had been strict and very traditional; Minerva learned nothing that wasn't lady like. Her daughter playing chess? Absurd! But Nicholas saw no reason for a woman to be restricted by her sex; he thought women were his equals. And so she learned chess. And very soon, she could play with the best of them. She continued her conventional education as well, but she was not allowed to go to school with other girls; not yet. Nicholas said that they were making tremendous strides, but they could not yet be trusted around humans. Their first test would be at a neighbor's garden party. It was going to be a small get together out in the country, starting in early afternoon and ending in the early evening. They could even leave early if need be. They just had to make sure they controlled themselves.

Tommy was worried. His biggest fear was that he would be unable to restrain himself and end up ripping part some unfortunate waiter. Minnie, on the other hand, could not have been more pleased. For the first time since her transformation, she would get all dolled up (not that she needed it, Tommy and Nicholas insisted. The odds of her meeting someone more beautiful than herself at that party were minimal. The girl in her though, would not let her old habits die. Besides, she needed color in her cheeks, didn't she?) , dress in a pretty gown, and meet girls and boys her own age. As much as she loved Tommy and Nicholas, she was getting pretty sick of them.

And so, around noon a couple days before the party, the new Brady family, dressed to the nines, set out in a carriage to the Grayson family home. The Graysons were an extremely affluent family that resided mostly in the Hamptons. Minnie had never really liked them. She had met them once, while she was human. And the youngest Grayson, a boy her age named John, had come off extremely arrogant and expected Minnie to fawn over him. Naturally, she hadn't. But now that she was older and more beautiful (she wasn't being haughty; simply acknowledging a fact) she only expected it to get worse. She hadn't seen anyone her age since, but she wasn't looking forward to people trying to marry her off.

A while later, they arrived at Grayson Manor and were greeted by the terribly fake Mrs. Jane Grayson and led in to the rooms they would be staying in for the night. They "forgot" to mention to her that they may have to leave early, as it would have raised a significant amount of suspicion.

It was a cloudy day, lucky for them, but they all wore hats and long sleeves and Minnie carried a parasol nonetheless. They were careful to stay in the shade of the beautiful blossoming trees.

"Why, hello. I don't believe we've met before." Minnie looked up from the flowers she had been examining (they were so much more interesting now) to see the person she had been expecting: John Grayson. She kept herself from rolling her eyes and instead smiled pleasantly and said:

"No, I don't believe we have." But inside her head she was screaming at him that they had met two years ago, she just looked different now. She was a good, proper young lady, though, and she knew her place.

"Well then." He smiled charmingly. "I'm John Grayson, pleased to make your acquaintance." He kissed her gloved hand. She fought to keep the smile on her face, doing her best not to breathe. He himself did not smell appealing, but someone else might.

"Minerva Brady, pleased to meet you as well." She had used the last of her air. She knew she would have to breathe soon. She just didn't want to.

"Really? I wasn't aware that Nicholas had a daughter, where has he been hiding you all these years?" She suppressed the urge to vomit (she was pretty sure she couldn't anymore anyway) and fixed the smile on her face.

"No actually, Nicholas is my uncle; he adopted my brother Thomas and myself when our parents passed last year."

"Oh dear, I'm terribly sorry. Have you been getting along well?" Minnie opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a loud, boisterous voice.

"Minnie?! Minerva Brady?! My God, it _has_ been a while!" Minnie took a deep breath and a familiar smell reached her noise: the smell of another vampire. A beautiful teenage boy swooped in next to her and kissed her cheek casually.

"Forgive me, sir." John looked as if someone had rustled his feathers and Minnie did her best not to laugh. She hid her mouth behind a gloved hand. "But who are you?"

"Ah, John Grayson, the young son of my _gracious_ hosts." He said grandiosely. "I, my friend, am Leland Stratford."

"Charmed." John said sourly. "Did you say Stanford?"

"No, no, no." Leland wagged his finger in front of John's face and Minnie but her lip hard. Whoever this vampire was, he certainly behaved ridiculously. By God, he was going to get himself thrown out! "You, my boy, are mistaking me for my West Coast cousins. Whereas the Stanford's live in California, the Stratford's reside in New York. Very different families, we are." John stared at the new, pompous rival like he wasn't quite sure what to make of him. "Would you mind terribly if I took a walk with my dear, old friend? No? Thank you, my dear boy." Leland swept Minnie away from the still gaping John and down a tunnel formed from blossoming trees that reminded Minnie of one of Monet's paintings at Giverny. "So, my dear succubus, what are you doing at the party of New York's elite?" Minnie tore away and put her hands on her hips.

"Let's get one thing clear. I am NOT a succubus. Never have I been insulted so." She looked away and crossed her arms as if she couldn't even bare to look at him.

"Come now, dove. The succubus is the most beautiful of the vampires. Is that really an insult?" His voice was so layered with charm that it almost sickened her. He gently grabbed her elbow and began leading her down the path again. She didn't protest, but didn't acknowledge him either. "You have yet to answer my question." He said quietly.

"My father brought me and my older brother here." She said stiffly, still not looking at him. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"Your father? Or the leader of your coven?" A satisfied smile spread across his lips as she whipped her head to look at him.

"My father." She had hissed. "I belong to a family. NOT a coven." As she glared at him, she noticed something. His eyes were red. She gasped and backed away.

"There a problem, butterfly?" He said innocently, examining his nails intently.

"Y-your eyes…"

"Yes, they're red, aren't they?" He said in a bored voice. He looked up at her and smiled, showing off his dazzlingly white teeth. "This, my pet, is what a real vampire looks like."

"W-what?"

"Come now, pet." He purred. "You can't tell me that you honestly believe that we're supposed to drink the blood of animals? There's a reason your eyes were red when you were born and a reason you want to kill every human hear. That is what we're meant for."

"No." Minnie shook her head fervently. "No. It's _wrong_, it's _twisted_, it's _sick_, it's _evil_. I won't kill anyone. I _won't_ hurt them."

"And I'm not trying to make you." Leland said carelessly. He looked at her slyly. "But maybe there's a part of you that wants to? They say if you deny something multiple times in one breath, then you're guilty of whatever you were accused of."

"I'm not. You're a liar."

"Whatever you say, darling. Just remember exactly _what_ you are." He turned merrily on his heels and rejoined the party with gusto.

Minnie was considerably shaken by the episode, but she knew deep down in her heart that Leland was right. She was a vampire and she was made to kill humans. But he was wrong about one thing. She did not want to kill and she never would. Her eyes, once a stunning blue-grey, would never again be red. Though the fear of being a killer eventually left her mind, Leland never did. He had been charming, as much as she hated to admit it; even when he was casually telling her she was a born killer. She had never met anyone more beautiful than he, not even her own brother. She hadn't been a vampire for long, but she knew they didn't get much more handsome than him.

ΩΩΩ

"Minnie?" The vampire girl snapped to attention. "I'm Seth." The tan boy stared at her like she used to see Tommy stare at cake: like it could solve every one of his problems and he had never seen anything more amazing.

"Umm… Yeah. You already said that. But it's nice to meet you. Are you able to turn in to a wolf too?" Seth took his head, like shaking off bothersome flies.

"Yeah, yeah I can." Shaking his head seemed to clear his thoughts a bit and he had the good sense to sit on the couch near her.

"So how do you do that?" Minnie asked. She was both curious, and eager to make small talk so she could avoid zoning out again. As far as she knew, vampires weren't supposed to do that.

"I don't really know. It's just part of who we are."

"How many wolves are there?" She was amazed that the humans hadn't discovered such large wolves. They hadn't discovered vampires either, but at least they _looked_ like humans.

"Hmm… counting Sam's pack there's seventeen of us."

"Oh my…" She put her hand over her heart. "Why… do you know why you are able to turn in to wolves?" Seth began to look uneasy.

"Umm… Well… We're sort of supposed to… Kill vampires." He finished quickly. He glanced quickly at Minnie's face to see her reaction. She looked rather shocked. "Not the nice ones of course." He added.

"I can't believe I'd forgotten!" She half-whispered.

"What?"

"A long time ago I almost moved here with my… friend. But then we heard that there was a tribe of people who knew about us and were able to kill us. We weren't sure if it was true. But we avoided Washington all the same. We moved to Oregon instead."

"Oh wow!" Minnie looked at Seth strangely. Either he was terribly polite, or he found everything she said extremely interesting.

"Food's ready!" Esmé called from the dining room. Seth looked uncertainly at Minnie.

"Uh, you can go eat. I don't mind." He smiled widely and shot up, with promises to return. "Maybe I should eat too…" She murmured to herself. The incredible pain in her stomach was growing difficult to ignore. She stood, stripped off the coat Alice had given her and kicked off her new beautiful heels.

"Minnie," Edward said quietly.

"Yes?"

"Could I talk to you when you get back from your hunt?" She nodded furiously.

"Yes. Yes, of course." She walked like a lady to the door then disappeared in to the forest.

ΩΩΩ

Minnie felt full. Full, but also mildly disgusted with herself. She didn't know why she had gone so long without eating, but she did know that five deer had died because of it. She shuddered and checked to make sure her dress was still clean. Check. She didn't really understand the clothing if this time, (the dress was so _short_) but she wouldn't have hesitated to admit that it made her a little uncomfortable. Those boys, Seth, Jacob, they were hardly clothed at all. And Bella and Alice and Esmé were wearing _pants._ All in all, this time period was strange. It wasn't very hard for her to believe that so much time had passed while she had been imprisoned. She could remember very little of her capture, but what she could, she wished she didn't. And the amount of pain she remembered seemed endless. It really didn't seem impossible to her that she had missed 120 years. She wondered how much she missed. What had happened in all that time. Surely the world was much more advanced no. If the Cullen family acted like electricity was no big deal, what kind of new wonders existed now?

Minnie walked gracefully back in to the Cullen home and slipped her new shoes back on. "Heels", Alice had called them. She glanced in to the dining room and saw the wolves still eating. She smiled slightly and shook her head. Boys. One thing hadn't changed. Teenage boys had bottomless stomachs.

"Minnie?" Edward motioned that he come sit with him and Bella on the couch. She sat.

"What do you think of Seth?" Bella asked in a sad attempt to be casual.

"Seth is a very nice boy. Very friendly. A little overeager, maybe, but very polite. He's a good listener for sure."

"Minnie, do you know anything about the wolves?" Minnie shook her head. "Well, the wolf gene is triggered by the presence of vampires. They're designed to kill them. We have a treaty with these wolves, though, because Jacob," He nodded in the direction of the kitchen "the Alpha of one of the two wolf packs, imprinted on Bella's and my daughter, Renesmée." Minnie looked confused so Edward explained. "Imprinting is an unconscious device used by the Quileute wolves to find their soul mates."

"Okay…" Minnie was waiting for Edward to get to the point. She didn't understand what this had to do with her.

"They have absolutely no control over this and they don't necessarily fall in love with the person, they just care for them immensely. Maybe as a friend, maybe as a brother, maybe as a lover. But they will do anything to protect them and they almost need to be around them."

"Edward, I don't want to be rude, and this is interesting, but why are you telling me this?" Edward and Bella exchanged glances and hesitated before Edward took a deep breath.

"Minnie, Seth imprinted on you."

The room began to spin around her and Minnie moved quickly away from them. She was hyperventilating and fanning herself with her hands. What were they telling here? They she was destined to love a boy she met five minutes ago? But what about—That was just wrong!

"So, so what? I have to live happily ever after with him just because you say so? I have to live my life with him because his wolf half decided that it wanted me?! That's _sick_! That's _twisted_! That's _wrong_!" Esmé came out of the dining room looking concerned.

"Minnie, honey, is something wrong?" Minnie was certain that if she could cry, she would be. Her hands were fluttering nervously and her breath, though unnecessary, came in quick gasps. Seth came bolting in to the room, panic in his eyes.

"Minnie?! Are you alright?!" He tried to move to her side.

"I have to go!" Minnie bolted out the door and quickly vanished from view.

ΩΩΩ

Minnie walked absent-mindedly through town, panicking as she went. How could her destiny be decided for her like this? She was paying so little attention she nearly ran in to a man.

"I'm _so_ sorry!" She said. She looked like running in to him was just the cherry on top of a perfect day. Anyone around must have thought she would burst in to tears at any moment. Minnie looked up at the man, the smell in the air already telling her everything she needed to know. He wasn't human. Whatever this little town was, it was crawling with them.

"It's fine." He said with surprising warmth. He was beautiful, like all vampires, but he also had a look of immense kindness about him. Like Esmé. She shook the thoughts from her head. No. That was a messed up place. "Are you alright?" He looked concerned.

"I— Um… Kind of. Are you familiar with the area?" She twisted her hand uncertainly. He nodded.

"I am."

"Could we go somewhere and talk?" He nodded again.

"Of course." The blond vampire guided her to a little cafe where he ordered them drinks. The waitress seemed to know him and he explained that Minnie was his visiting niece.

"Do you know about the wolves that live around here? And about that thin they do? The… imprinting?"

"I am familiar with all of it, yes."

"Well… I-I met some of them today, when a family of vampires found me and brought me to their house. And one of them… He… He imprinted on me." She buried her head in her hands. "I don't want my life to be determined for me."

"Dear, calm down, it's okay. This doesn't mean your life has been made up without your consent. It just means that now you have a friend who will love you unconditionally and prtect you no matter what. It could turn in to love, it could not. And you don't have to be a part of that, not unless you want to. You are able to reject him, if you want to." Minnie looked up.

" I am?"

"Well, yes. But I wouldn't recommend it. The wolf feels so strongly for you, not necessarily love, but feelings, that it would hurt him immensely if you left." Minnie nodded, understanding.

"So either I accept him in to my life, or I live with the guilt of destroying him forever? I understand now, thank you." She stood and shook his hand, then said in a slightly louder voice. "I think I'll head home; I'm a little tired. See you later, Uncle." Minnie walked out of the little diner and disappeared on to the streets, leaving Carlisle to wonder exactly who she was.

**Heyy! Sorry it took so long and sorry it wasn't really that good, but I really wanted to get this chapter out. And I lost my flash drive and half the original chapter was lost **** I know… Sad. But anyway, thanks for reading I would lovelovelove to hear your thoughts!**

**Andi**

**P.S. the Garden Party garden/set?id=63801751**

**P.P.S. I have a lot of fun ^**


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